The present proposal describes development of a computerized multimedia system, called the SmartStart-Nutritional Health for Women (SmartStart- NHW), designed to provide health information targeted directly to freshmen women in their first semester at college or university. Intense dieting and weight loss practices among college women are reaching nearly epidemic proportions affecting physiological, psychological and behavioral functioning of college women. This, in turn, adversely impacts physical and emotional health, academic performance and college retention rates. SmartStart-NHW will utilize tailored health messages, a harm reduction approach, and multimedia technology to address, in a confidential and personalized manner, excessive dieting, and dysfunctional eating patterns and weight loss strategies. The product speaks to increased interest in the potential of multimedia technology to impact public health, although few projects have been empirically tested for effectiveness. Phase I involves construction of the various components of the program including: identifying Enhanced Frequently Asked Questions (E-FAQs); outlining, for five E-FAQs, the answers and hyperlinks; completely scripting one E-FAQ and its high-level design; developing a prototype demonstration CD-ROM; and providing an initial end-user acceptance test of the program. Phase II will entail completion of the final program and a field test of acceptance, satisfaction, and efficacy. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION The commercial impact of this project is very promising. Student affairs offices at universities and colleges around the country are under pressure to deal with a virtual epidemic of disordered eating practices engaged in by young college women. These practices result in an increase in physical and emotional health problems, decreased academic performance, and college retention rates. A relatively inexpensive, self-administered computer-based product which has been shown to empirically reduce risk in a high risk population, should be highly marketable to universities and colleges around the country.